Rigged (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by ilna
Summary: Carrie and Catherine collect on their bet with John and Steve, and the four remember a carnival trip from their Academy days.


**Notes: **Thanks to Mari and Sammy as always for their general awesomeness and especially for their support during a tough week. Huge thanks to Sammy for the story suggestion and to Mari for bouncing ideas. You're the best, ladies!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Rigged (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)_

"Hey, sorry we're late," Catherine said as she and Steve joined Carrie and John who were already seated at a table at Side Street.

"No problem," Carrie assured them. "We started a tab. First round of beers should be here any minute."

"Excellent," Steve said as he and Catherine settled across from their friends.

"Angie have a hard time saying goodbye?" John asked with a smile.

"No, she barely spared us a second glance once Grandma pulled out the crayons and coloring papers," Steve said, chuckling.

Catherine smiled. "Yeah, we should have a whole new exhibit of Angie originals by the time we get home."

"That was about the only thing that was going to get her off her new tricycle," Steve added. "Coloring with Grandma."

"She did her rainbow stepping stones on the deck for a bit, but then realized she could ride her tricycle around them instead," Catherine told them.

Carrie laughed. "Move over _Fast and Furious_, Angie's got wheels."

John chuckled as well. "Those stepping stones were pretty neat as well. The Allens got them for her, right?"

"They did," Catherine confirmed.

"What's the latest on Jenna's job search?" Carrie asked. "I talked to her at the party and she said she'd sent out a bunch of resumes. Has she heard anything?"

"So far mostly people saying they'd love to bring her on if they had any openings," Catherine said, "which is flattering but …"

"Doesn't translate to a paycheck," John finished.

Catherine nodded. "She wanted to stay in the medical field since that's what she knows best, but she's realizing there just might not be anything available right now that's comparable to her current job."

"We're both keeping our ears to the ground," Carrie said, nodding at her husband. "If something opens up in the civil division, we'll let her know."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate it," Steve said. "There's still a few weeks till the practice closes, plus her boss is cutting everyone a severance check but I know she'd feel better if she had something lined up before the end of the month. Or at the very least, in the works. The whole family would."

"Understandable," John said.

"Hey, I got a call from your adoption caseworker today," Carrie said, suddenly remembering the news. "We set up my interview for next week."

Catherine beamed. "That's great."

"Yep, so I've started making notes of all the embarrassing anecdotes I have to relate," she teased. "How many times do you think is too many to mention 'mooney eyes'?"

"Stagler …" Steve started.

"Four? Five?"

John chuckled, shaking his head.

Carrie grinned. "Relax, Danny said it was pretty painless."

"You talked to him about it?" Steve asked.

"Of course. Called him as soon as I got off the phone with Ms. Longo. He said she was very nice, professional, and already has a very positive impression of you two, which I chalk up entirely to Catherine."

"No argument here," Steve said, smiling at Catherine beside him.

"Thanks for doing this, Carrie," Catherine said, turning to look at her best friend. Both she and Steve knew that just like Danny, Carrie might enjoy nothing so much as teasing and busting them, Steve in particular, but also just like Danny she was 100% supportive of them and their hope to adopt a child.

Carrie smiled sincerely. "You two are wonderful human beings and even better parents, and I can't wait to tell Ms. Longo exactly that."

Catherine reached over to squeeze her hand, blinking at the tears in her eyes as Steve nodded his heartfelt thanks.

"You, too, John," Steve said. "I'm sure she'll end up wanting to talk to you as well."

John nodded. "Anything I can do."

A moment later, their server arrived with a tray full of Longboards and empty glasses, quickly setting one of each in front of them. "Here we are," she said. She turned to the food runner who'd followed her with the large plate of hot wings. "And here's your appetizer."

"Ah, our winnings," Carrie said, rubbing her hands together gleefully. "Thank you _very_ much."

Steve shook his head, chuckling. "Of course you ordered them already."

"Of course. That was the whole reason for coming here tonight."

The server set down a stack of small plates on the table for them. "Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm gonna need a few minutes to dig into these wings and really savor our victory," Carrie said, grinning as she picked up a wing slathered in sauce.

"Okay, I'll check back soon," the server said before moving off to look in on another table.

"You know, Stagler, you two only won by three seconds," Steve said, passing around the plates even as Carrie took a bite from her wing.

"A win's a win, McGarrett," she said, wiping a bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth. "Shouldn't have to tell _you_ that."

"And I just want to reiterate that this bet makes no sense since there's one member of each team in each couple here," John said, picking up his own wing.

"Irrelevant," Carrie insisted. "We still won." She stuck out her fist to Catherine for a bump. "Farm marble maze champions."

"And you say _we're_ the competitive ones?" John teased.

"Oh, me and Cath got nothin' on you two," Carrie said. "Remember the carnival outside Annapolis?"

At the mention of the infamous carnival outing, Steve immediately said, "That game was–"

"Rigged," all four finished in unison, John and Steve's voices serious while Carrie and Catherine's held a definite mocking tone.

* * *

_**Spring 1998**_

_ "Oh, Carrie, there's the water gun race," Kathie Stagler said, pointing to a booth a few dozen feet away. "You were always so good at those."_

_ "I might actually have some stiff competition today," Carrie commented, looking at her fellow midshipmen. "You all want to give it a try?"_

_ "Sure," Catherine said easily, and Steve and John also agreed._

_ "First race is on us," Bill Stagler said, pulling out his wallet._

_ "Step right up, folks, and pick your seat," the game operator called out to passersby. "$1 per person per race."_

_ "We're in," Carrie said, stepping up to the booth. "At least four of us." She glanced back at her parents. "Mom? Dad?"_

_ "Oh, that's okay, honey, you four go ahead."_

_ Bill handed over the money to the operator._

_ "All right, take a seat," he said, waving to the stools in front of rows of identical water guns and targets rigged with colorful teddy bears on top of them._

_ "Can we stand?" Steve asked, picking up one of the water guns that was connected to a hose and inspecting it._

_ "If you like," the operator said. Once all four had picked a station, he flipped switches in front of each to activate them. "Pretty simple, aim for the target and your bear will rise. First to the top wins."_

_ "Watch out, McGarrett, I'm the master at this game," Carrie said, elbowing him._

_ "We'll see about that, Stagler," Steve returned, aiming his water gun at the target._

_ Catherine and John shared an amused look as they, too, took aim._

_ "On your mark," the operator said, his hand hovering at the switch to start the game. "Get set. Go!"_

_ A loud buzzer sounded and four streams of water flew from each water gun. The teddy bears started to rise, all looking fairly even until the green bear pulled ever so slightly ahead and reached the top first, a bell ringing to announce the winner._

_ "Ha! Told you," Carrie said with a wide grin. _

_ "The winner is green!" the operator announced, handing her a small teddy bear similar to the large one in the game. "Wow, I've never seen such a close race."_

_ "That's four midshipmen right there," Bill informed him._

_ "Ahh, I should've known."_

_ "Tough loss, McGarrett," Carrie teased._

_ "I think something's wrong with these targets," he said. "It was more effective to aim just north of the bullseye."_

_ "Whatever you say," Carrie countered, a gleam in her eyes. "Here, hon, I won you a prize." Grinning, she handed John the little green teddy bear._

_ "Gee, thanks," he said with a chuckle._

_ "You knew that already," Steve said, still fixated on the targets._

_ Carrie smirked at him. "Told you, I'm the master."_

_ "That's it, we're going again," Steve said, pulling out his wallet and grabbing several bills. "Everybody in?"_

* * *

_ After several more races, and several more teddy bear prizes, they finally left the water gun race. Steve and Carrie each had won twice, while John and Catherine won one race a piece._

_ "How can it be rigged if someone wins every time?" Carrie asked._

_ "The center of the target should be the goal," Steve answered. "It doesn't make any sense."_

_ "It's a carnival game, it doesn't have to make sense, McGarrett."_

_ "That's ridiculous."_

_ "Hey, check it out, a football toss," John said, pointing across the fairway. "Didn't you play in high school, McGarrett?"_

"_Yeah," Steve answered._

"_I wasn't too bad back in my day," Bill said. "Let's give it a try."_

"_So long as you don't throw your arm out trying to keep up with the kids," Kathie added. _

_ They walked over to the booth that featured targets moving back and forth._

_ "Come on, gentleman, win your ladies a prize. Knock down every target and the choice is yours," the operator said with a toothy grin, waving an arm to indicate the array of gigantic stuffed animals on display as potential prizes._

_ Carrie and Catherine rolled their eyes but all three men stepped up to give it a try._

_ "All right, Mr. QB," John said, waving for Steve to go first. "Let's see what you've got."_

_ After paying the operator, Steve picked up one of the footballs, smaller than regulation size, and examined it briefly before looking at the targets._

_ "Any order?" he asked the operator._

_ "Any order, so long as they all come down."_

_ Steve nodded and drew his arm back. He threw a perfect spiral toward one of the targets, hitting it dead center, but while it leaned back slightly, it sprung back into an upright position._

_ Steve's gaze narrowed. "What the–"_

_ "Might need a little more force, my friend," the operator said, still grinning._

_ Steve picked up another football and threw harder at the same target, this time aiming lower on the bullseye. Again, it wobbled but didn't fall over._

_ "Come on," he protested. He immediately picked up his third and final ball, aiming for a different target. This time the target fell as soon as it was struck._

_ "Now you're getting it!" the operator said. "Care to try again?"_

_ His brow furrowed in determination, Steve forked over another bill without a word. He managed to knock down two targets this time, but the third remained stubbornly upright._

_ "Something's wrong with this game," he said._

_ "Let an old-timer give this a try," Bill said. Both he and John took their own turns, with similar results._

_ "I think I've got this figured out," John said. "Let's go again."_

_Behind them, Carrie looked at her mother and Catherine. "I got a feeling we could be here a while."_

"_Anyone hungry?" Kathie asked._

"_Definitely," Catherine answered. "I can smell the funnel cakes from here."_

_Kathie raised her voice to address the three men. "We're going to check out the food stalls, anyone want to join us?"_

"_You go ahead, honey," Bill said, already picking up another football as Steve took aim. "We'll be right behind you."_

_John nodded. "Just as soon as we win this game."_

"_Okay," Kathie said, shaking her head in amusement. "Remember your arm, Bill."_

"_Feels fine," he insisted._

"_We'll see," Kathie muttered to Carrie and Catherine as the three walked away._

* * *

_ Twenty minutes later, they returned, arms laden with carnival treats. Carrie had a lemonade slushie balanced under one arm while she pulled a piece of bright pink cotton candy from a stick. Kathie was munching at a cone of vinegar-doused French fries, while Catherine tore a piece of dough from her half-eaten funnel cake._

"_Oh my God, seriously?" Carrie said when they reached the booth to see John with his arm drawn back, prepared to launch another football. "You're still at it?"_

_He glanced at her. "I got my eye on that frog up there. Didn't you tell me you loved frogs when you were a kid?"_

"_Oh no," she protested, shoving a piece of cotton candy into his mouth. "You're not putting this on me. This is all male ego."_

"_How's your arm, Bill?" Kathie asked her husband as she held the fries out to him._

"_Just fine," he said, but she could see him favoring his right shoulder as he reached for a fry._

_Catherine moved next to Steve. "How'd you do?" she asked._

_ He shook his head, clearly frustrated. "This game is rigged. That final target won't fall."_

_ "If it's rigged, why are you still playing?"_

_ He paused, eyes shifting away awkwardly._

_ She smiled knowingly and held up the plate. "Funnel cake before your next attempt?"_

_ "What is that, powdered sugar?" he asked._

_ "Yeah, you've never had a funnel cake?"_

_ He shook his head, and she tore him off a small piece. "Prepare to be amazed."_

_ He took a bite, eyes widening. "Wow, that's sweet."_

_ She grinned, taking another bite herself. "I know. They had toppings, but with funnel cakes, I'm an originalist."_

_ He chuckled._

_ "Help me finish this," she said. "I've gotta save room for an elephant ear."_

_ Smiling at her, he obliged by pulling another piece of the fried dough._

_In front of them,_ _John threw another football, knocking down a target, and Carrie took a drink of her slushie. _

"_You know, if you actually win that giant frog, you're the one carrying it back to the van."_

* * *

"And I did," John said, raising his glass as if toasting the frog from so long ago.

"Yeah, and then promptly left it in the van when we got back to the Academy," Carrie quipped, remembering the giant stuffed animals John, Steve, and Bill and shoved into the back of her parents' vehicle.

"Probably for the best. What were we going to do with those stuffed animals in Bancroft?"

Carrie chuckled at the memory. "Mom told me Dad was sore for a week but wouldn't admit it."

"He wasn't the only one," Catherine quipped, glancing at Steve.

"Hey, I admitted it," Steve protested with a smile. "Fifteen years later, but I admitted it."

"We may have gone a little overboard with that game," John said.

"A little?" Carrie balked. "You three spent a small fortune to win a bunch of stuffed animals that we didn't even keep."

"Well, at least now if you win a giant frog or teddy bear, you've got someone to give it to," Catherine said with a smile, looking between the two men.

"My goddaughter?" Carrie said. "Oh, she'll win those stuffed animals herself."

"She sure will," Steve said confidently. "Rigged game or not."

John grinned, tipping his glass once more.

"And I'll carry her giant prize when she does."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

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